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Public meetings to address State Library recommendations

The South Dakota State Library will share recommendations from a study designed to review the library’s role in the 21st century. The recommendations will be discussed and public comment solicited at a series of meetings slated for next week. See schedule at link below.
“We have done a thorough study of our organization, its services and our clients,” said Dorothy Liegl, state librarian. “Now, it’s time to delve into these recommendations and decide which are appropriate to implement.” The six-month study was led by Dr. Mary Bushing, a national library consultant.
Among the recommendations is a directive to redefine the State Library’s role, programs and services based on the needs of its primary clientele. That clientele includes: libraries of all types across the state; state government employees and elected officials; and citizens who are blind, visually impaired or who have physical disabilities.
“We will likely see a shift toward providing more targeted services to our primary clients,” Liegl explained. This shift will allow the State Library to provide consulting, strategic planning, grants administration, and similar services to community-based and school libraries across the state. In short, it will allow the State Library to more actively support and promote South Dakota’s local libraries.
The recommendations also call for redistributing some of the State Library’s collections to the local level, where they will be immediately accessible to the public via a particular library or the South Dakota Library Network. Certain unique collections, such as the South Dakota History and South Dakota Native American collections, would still be maintained by the State Library.
Finally, the recommendations call for the State Library to continue its leadership in providing electronic resources, available through local libraries, for the benefit of all South Dakota citizens.